I noticed how tense my face was

Dear Delyara, I caught my reflection in a dark window tonight and realized my face looked guarded. Jaw tight. Eyes hard. Mouth set. I hadn’t even noticed. That’s what prolonged stress does, I think. It turns the body into a record of what the mind keeps trying to minimize. You can say you’re fine for weeks, but your shoulders, your sleep, your appetite, your face — they’re all telling a different story. I softened my jaw after that. It almost made me emotional.